Opinion

Rice: Is it hypocrisy or just lying?

Jeff Rice

Journal-Advocate columnist

Posted:
07/01/2013 10:07:03 AM MDT

The Sterling City Council has weighed in on the pot question. In Tuesday night's meeting the council aired its collective opinion that allowing the perfectly legal sale of marijuana inside the Sterling city limits is an invitation to trouble.

A formal condemnation in the form of an ordinance will come later. Do we dare hope for an encore performance by a non-spokesperson of the Citizens to Oversee Local Government and Generally Do Good? Oh, please, yes, at least make the meeting worth attending, if only for the entertainment value.

While reading the reportage of Tuesday's meeting, I was especially struck by a comment made by Councilman Marcus Flores, to wit: "I've seen a lot of hypocrisy from elected officials in the past on this subject." Oh, Councilman Flores, you cannot imagine the murky depths of hypocrisy that slosh beneath the feet of our elected officials on this matter.

What wasn't clear from the article in Wednesday's paper was the nature of the hypocrisy Flores was referencing. Does he mean they condemn in public but partake in private? Or that their stated reasons for opposition are pretenses to mask their real reasons? Either brand is fairly common.

If it's the former, well, politicos have a habit of taking the parental "do as I say not as I do" attitude when it comes to fun stuff like alcohol, drugs, adultery and chocolate. They know what is right (or at least what will help them get re-elected when the time comes) but sometimes, like mommy trying to quit cigarettes, they'll sneak a quick smoke when they think the kids aren't looking. People my age know, of course, that the kids are always looking.

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While this may be, technically speaking, hypocritical, it's the less dangerous of the two. The second brand — "I think this is wrong but I can't state my real reasons" — is at best intellectually dishonest and at worst outright lying. The "real reasons" are almost always religious, and elected officials who refuse to cite their faith as a reason for their positions do their constituents and themselves no good. I may not be the most spiritual person you know, but I have a lot more respect for someone honest enough to take a stand based on religious faith, and then be public about it, than someone who searches for lame secular reasons for fear of being branded a "religious nut."

It is a fact of life that people — millions of people, the overwhelming majority of people — in this country conduct their lives by the guidance of their religious faith. There's nothing wrong with that. It's better to openly follow a moral compass and walk a true path than to put the compass in your pocket and get lost in the brambles of dishonesty. If council members object to the sale of marijuana for religious reasons, they should openly say so. It's the moral thing to do and their constituents will thank them for it during the next election.

So, it could be interesting to hear the city council discuss the marijuana ordinance in a couple of weeks, if the council members are honest about their positions. If they're not, well, we can always hope a half-baked activist shows up.

RE-1 Valley School District has announced its policy for determining eligibility of children who may receive free and reduced price meals served under the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program.
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